CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An investigation is underway after deputies said a Mecklenburg County inmate died following a medical emergency Thursday morning.
According to a news release from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, 33-year-old Derrick Geter faced a medical emergency in the central jail's infirmary shortly after 10 a.m. Minutes later, Geter was taken to a hospital for treatment. The office said he passed away at the hospital around 11:30 a.m.
In a statement, Sheriff Garry McFadden said “We are very saddened to report the death of Mr. Geter. It is always difficult to experience the loss of a resident in our custody and care. There are no words for such an unimaginable loss just days before Mother’s Day. We send our deepest condolences to Mr. Geter’s mother and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) is now conducting an investigation as the medical examiner determines a cause of death.
Geter's death comes as the Mecklenburg County jail system faced scrutiny by state officials. In January 2022, the state Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) found staffing shortages posed threats not just to health, but to safety as well. Another confidential report obtained by WCNC Charlotte that same month revealed a guard found an inmate wandering the jail's halls.
Sheriff McFadden told WCNC Charlotte in December 2021 that changing the jail's culture was a difficult task, an interview that came days after an inmate attacked a detention officer.